High-powered semiconductor devices, such as diodes and SCRS, must be cooled to prevent failure caused by overheating. Typically, heat dissipating devices, such as heat sinks or chill blocks, are clamped to the semiconductor device to dissipate the heat generated by the semiconductor. Usually, the clamping force is of the order of 10,000 pounds. It is essential that uniform, intimate contact be obtained between the heat dissipating devices and the semiconductor, and this requires that the pieces be clamped parallel to each other within the tolerance limit to which the corresponding semiconductor surfaces are parallel.
One of the disadvantages associated with existing clamping devices is overtightening and uneven application of clamping forces. Overtightening may cause the shapes of the semiconductor device and the heat dissipating device to distort. This distortion may cause the interface between the semiconductor device and the heat dissipating devices to become skewed, which decreases the contact surface area between the two, thus reducing heat transfer from the semiconductor to the heat dissipating device.
Another disadvantage associated with existing clamping devices is that the semiconductor device may be located or become positioned off-center from the clamp jaws. This also reduces the contact surface area between the semiconductor device and the heat dissipating device, which results in reduced heat transfer.
The present invention accurately centers the semiconductor device between the heat dissipating devices and enables the semiconductor device and the heat dissipating devices to fit uniformly flat against each other for maximum heat transfer therebetween.